Loyola Marymount University joins the global community in mourning the loss of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pope and the first Jesuit Pope, led the Church in animating the vision of the Gospel with humility, courage, and tenderness. His twelve-year papacy moved the Church in the direction of its people. He never shifted his gaze from the margins and he called attention to the needs of the displaced, the earth, and the movement of the Spirit in the Church and the world today. The Ignatian influence on his leadership is unmistakable. We here at LMU aspire to advance his synodal vision, vivifying our value of a faith that does justice, toward a vision for the world “where all may have life, where all may be one, for the greater glory of God.””
As we grieve and reflect upon Francis’s impact, may we hold close Francis’s luminous example of hope, especially in this season of Easter joy. His words from his Easter message offer timely consolation:
“Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost!”
